The Beauty Of Living Twice by Sharon Stone

 

The Beauty Of Living Twice by Sharon Stone.

Published 3rd March 2022 by Allen and Unwin.

Audio book narrated by Sharon Stone: 7hours 24 minutes.

From the cover of the book:

Sharon Stone, one of the most renowned actresses in the world, suffered a massive stroke that cost her not only her health, but her career, family, fortune, and global fame. In The Beauty of Living Twice, she chronicles her efforts to rebuild her life, and the slow road back to wholeness and health. In an industry that doesn't accept failure, in a world where too many voices are silenced, Stone found the power to return, the courage to speak up, and the will to make a difference in the lives of women and children around the globe.

Over the course of these intimate pages, Stone talks about her pivotal roles, her life-changing friendships, her worst disappointments, and her greatest accomplishments. She reveals how she went from a childhood of trauma and violence to a business that in many ways echoed those same assaults, under cover of money and glamour. She describes the strength and meaning she found in her children, and in her humanitarian efforts. And ultimately, she shares how she fought her way back to find not only her truth, but her family's reconciliation and love.

Stone made headlines not just for her talent and beauty, but for her candour and her refusal to "play nice," and it's those same qualities that make this memoir so powerful. The Beauty of Living Twice is a book for the wounded, and a book for the survivors; it's a celebration of women's strength and resilience, a reckoning, and a call to activism. It is proof that it's never too late to raise your voice, and speak out.

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I was expecting to be quite juicy. Instead, it was a very reflective and thought provoking book for a lot of reasons.

The book covers her background, personal highs and lows, and has many tales about her acting roles - but really it is a story of two parts, defined by the times before and after the severe brain bleed that very nearly killed her (hence 'living twice').

She shares a lot about her philosophy on life, the tenets of her Buddhist faith, and the lessons she has learned about herself, fame, and the acting profession. There are times when you feel there are things she isn't saying about the controversial episodes she mentions, and she does tend to overplay her 'worthy' acts a bit, but there are lots of emotional moments, oodles of fascinating info, and chuckles too.

There is a lot more to her than I realised, and her story is very uplifting. She's a courageous woman.

The Beauty of Living Twice is available to buy now in hardcover, ebook, and audio formats.

About the author:

Sharon Stone is an actress, human rights activist, artist, mother, daughter, sister, and writer. She has been honoured with a Nobel Peace Summit Award, a Harvard Humanitarian Award, a Human Rights Campaign Humanitarian Award and an Einstein Spirit Award, as well as many other accolades.

She currently lives in Los Angeles with her family.